music therapy

To Get You Into the Holiday Spirit…

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As some of you may know, The Sing Off is back in full swing! Pentatonix was the winner of the competition last year and they are doing great things. Here is something to get you into the holiday spirit!

Ben Folds, a judge on The Sing Off and amazing musician, is back again as a judge along with Jewel and Shawn Stockman. Mr. Folds and is an advocate and supporter of music therapy (yay! and thank you!). Find him on twitter, here.

Chapman Spotlight

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I wanted to thank Chapman University Alumni for posting my interview to their blog. It is wonderful that they are supporting their alumni in this way and I am grateful for the exposure of my new company. Please check it out by clicking the header above.

Brianna

The 5 “R’s” of Early Childhood

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Today I went to Help Me Grow’s Connection Cafe. The Connection Cafe a networking event they put on quarterly. In September, Play Your Part, Inc. joined Help Me Grow’s list serve! They have been a wealth of knowledge for me in getting to know other great therapists and referrals in the OC area. Today’s guest … Read more

Play Your Part: Recent Community Events

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As a new company in the Orange County community, we are trying to get involved as much as we can. This past week has been very busy, so here is an update of what we’ve been up to! On Saturday, November 16th, we hosted a booth at the OC Walk Now for Autism Speaks resource … Read more

Use of Music Therapy for Children With Maladaptive Behaviors

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Today’s post is about the use of music therapy with maladaptive behaviors (i.e. aggression, short attention span, won’t follow directions, difficulty coping, etc). Depending on diagnoses, approaches might vary a bit, but you will read a few tips/suggestions regarding this population. Sample Goals/Objectives: Request/Terminate an Activity: Lots of times, a child can become frustrated (which … Read more

Sensory Processing Disorder

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If you’ve seen or worked with a child with Autism, it’s very likely that you’ve encountered a child who has issues processing information.  I’ve worked with children who need a lot of input (Hypo-Reactive Nervous System): they might enjoy really deep pressure and tend to enjoy very loud noises. I’ve also worked with the opposite, where a kiddo becomes over-aroused from too much input (Hyper-Reactive Nervous System): doesn’t like to be touched, is over sensitive to certain textures, and loud noises bother them.  As a music therapist, it is important to get to know the client, how they process their environment, and plan sessions accordingly.

Here are some great ways to help a child cope and benefit from school/therapy who might be struggling with SPD:

  • Set routines/schedules (Keep things consistent with a good flow)
  • Use visuals (I cannot stress the importance of this while working with any child with ASD)
  • Use timers (Set them up for success: First we will do 5 minutes of work and Then you get to play)
  • Provide fidget toys/breaks (I have a bin of toys I keep handy with squeeze balls, play-doh, etc.)

I came across this flier (link attached) from North Shore Pediatric that perfectly describes and outlines Sensory Processing Disorder.  I’m actually going to print it and keep it to continuously refer to as new clients come in for treatment.